The Very Best
by KKJeanne
Summary: Kachi, the daughter of a famous scientist, has set out on a quest that requires maturity, bravery, and strength beyond her young 15 years. She must rescue her mother from the Rockets, and become a pokemon master, the best! She wont settle for less.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One  
  
Sobs could be heard all throughout the Viridian Forest. The sobber was in the heart of the forest, sitting in the ground, her head tucked into her knees.  
  
"Muchuru!" she called one last time, hoping that her Smoochum would come back. "Muchuru!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood, scanning the surrounding forest. "Muchuru! You get back here right now or they'll be no dinner for you! That's a promise!" Still her Pokemon did not return. The girl couldn't understand it. She and Muchuru had been companions since they had been born, in fact, the two shared the same birthday. Why had Muchuru run away all of a sudden? She flopped down once more on the ground and sobbed.  
  
"'Scuse me, ma'am, but is this why you're crying?" The girl looked up to see a tall boy (man?) holding her Smoochum.  
  
"I'm not crying!" she said, wiping the tears from her face. "But yes, this is my Pokemon. Thank you for returning her."  
  
"Its not a problem, really," he said, putting the Pokemon down. The Pokemon clung to the boy's leg.  
  
"Smoochum! Muchuru! Smoochum!" it cooed. The boy laughed and held out his hand to the girl.  
  
"I've already introduced myself to your Smoochum, but I don't believe that we've exchanged names. I'm Roku," he said. The girl looked at him nastily for a moment, and decided to shake the boy's hand. He had, after all, found her Pokemon for her, even though she thought it was OBVIOUS she had the situation under control.  
  
"I'm Kachi Oak." The boy's eye's widened.   
  
"Are you related to the great Professor Oak?" he asked.  
  
"Why?" asked Kachi suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.  
  
"I'm a huge fan of her's," he said.  
  
"Well, she's my mother," said Kachi.  
  
"Then would I be right in saying that Professor Oak, Senior, is you're grandfather?"  
  
"Great Grandfather, actually. And there's one more Professor Oak - "  
  
"You?" asked Roku. The girl laughed, laughter that seemed strange coming from her sad face.  
  
"Someday, perhaps. But I was speaking of my uncle, Gary Oak." Roku nodded.  
  
"I am familiar with his work as well, but I have studied your mother's work extensively. Her studies on Pokemon fighting are amazing!"  
  
"Thank you." The girl glanced at her watch. "If you'll excuse me, I really must be going." She turned and tried to leave, but the boy caught her by the arm.  
  
"Is there any chance that I could meet your mother?"  
  
"No," said Kachi coldly. "If you'll excuse me, there's a badge I need to get in Viridian City, through the forest. Its my last one before I go to Johto."  
  
She turned, and walked off, hoping to see the last of that Roku.  
  
"But wait, Kachi," said the boy, walking beside her. "I've got a badge to get in Viridian, too, but it'll take us the rest of the day to walk there. Why don't we fly?"  
  
"I don't need your assistance," said Kachi. She pushed him to the side.  
  
"Why are you treating me like I'm inferior?" Roku was starting to get angry. "You're going to have a very rough time if you go through the rest of your journey treating people like this."  
  
"I've already had a very rough time!" she said, tears stinging her eyes, but she would not let them flow out onto her cheeks. She would teach this inconsiderate boy a lesson! "Muchuru, go!"  
  
Roku realized a battle had started, and sent out one of his own Pokemon. "Takibi! GO!" A seasoned Cyndaquil burst out of the Pokeball.  
  
"Pound!" shouted Kachi. The little Smoochum pounded with all its might against the Cyndaquil. The Cyndaquil pushed Muchuru gently with his nose and she toppled over onto her back, her limbs flailing in the air as she tried to right herself.  
  
"Takibi! Ember!" shouted Roku. Flames burst from Takibi, and Muchuru (who had just recovered from falling over) was blasted into a tree.  
  
"What did you do to her?" cried Kachi, running to her Pokemon. Tears ran down her face as she held it. "You've killed her!"  
  
"I have not!" argued Roku. "It was just Ember, for god sakes."  
  
"She's just a baby!" cried Kachi. Roku held out a Pokeball and called Takibi back. He brought forth a magnificent Aerodactyl.  
  
"Come on, Kachi, she's really hurt, if we fly we'll be at a Pokemon center in no time," offered Roku.  
  
"Fine," said Kachi, hugging Muchuru close to her, "but this is for Muchuru! This doesn't mean I like you at all! If you hadn't been bugging me, we never would have battled, and this never would have happened!" Roku helped her up onto the magnificent Pokemon. He got up behind her.  
  
"Kaseki! Fly! Now! As fast as you can, to Viridian!"  
  
Moments later, the two arrived at a PokeCenter. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two  
  
Roku and Kachi sat in the hospital, Kachi sobbing. Roku had offered to cover the extensive hospital fees. Poor Muchuru was badly hurt.  
  
A nurse walked towards them and Kachi jumped up, wiping her tears away. "Is she going to be all right? Please tell me she's going to be all right!"  
  
The nurse shook her head sadly, "Your Smoochum is in very bad condition. While there's a good chance that she'll pull through, there's a good chance she wont. I'm sorry." The nurse shook her head sadly, and walked back into the emergency room.  
  
"I don't understand it!" said Kachi, speaking to Roku. She still didn't like him at all, but he was at least somewhat familiar, unlike the other people in this strange place, so far away from her home. "She's always so strong! Even though she's a baby, she's never lost a battle. Until you!"  
  
"I'm really very sorry," said Roku. "But you were the one who started the battle, not me - "  
  
"I don't care who started it! You didn't have to fight back!"   
  
Roku laughed. "And what was I supposed to do, let you clobber Takibi?"  
  
Kachi pouted. "No, I suppose not." She didn't speak any more after that.  
  
Ten minutes later, Roku asked, "Why are you so nasty? Surely life hasn't been that bad to you? How old could you be?15? What could possibly happen in a fifteen year old's life that's so dramatic that they're nasty to every one they see for the rest of their life?"  
  
Kachi glared at him. "You wouldn't know!" she said and she ran of to the ladies room.  
  
"I would if you'd tell me!" called Roku after her.   
  
Kachi sobbed in one of the stalls in the bathroom. No one could understand what she was going through...her mother had been kidnapped a little less than a year ago by the newly established Team Rocket. It was kept quiet, of course, not many people new about it. Especially since Professor Oak had exiled herself to Cinnabar Island to do some research, completely alone except for her daughter, her daughter who saw it happen...  
  
...Kachi had been in the lab, doing research with her mother. Someday she too hoped to study Pokemon, as her mother did. Though she was more interested in genetics than fighting, as her mother was. Kachi wanted to try crossing a Mew Two with a Pikachu, or a Gyrados with a Rattata, in hopes of finding the invincible Pokemon, or the smartest, or the strongest...the possibilities were nearly endless.  
  
Kachi had been daydreaming about her future when she heard the crash of a beaker shattering on the floor. She turned to see her mother in the hands of two people, one male, one female, in uniforms with an "R" on the front. They laughed as they bound and gagged Kachi's mother, but they didn't seem to notice the girl in the corner of the lab, behind all the beakers.   
  
"Stop!" cried Kachi, coming out from behind the beakers. She slowly walked to the front of the lab where the Rockets were. Slowly, because every now and then she would stuff some of her mother's valuable research into her bag. Notes, and a few electronic devices. When she got to the front where the three were, the Rockets laughed.  
  
The female one continued binding Professor Oak, while the male one grabbed Kachi by the neck and began lifting her into the air. "What's that? Can't hear you!" he laughed as he dropped her to the floor.  
  
"I'm warning you!" said Kachi.  
  
"I'm not scared of you!" said the man. He kicked the fallen Kachi with one of his booted feet. She let out a cry of dismay. The Rockets laughed. The male rocket threw Professor Oak over his shoulder and turned to the girl.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want to give mommy a kiss good bye?" The girl threw some sort of gas bomb into the room, and Kachi went unconscious, to the sounds of the Rocket's laughter.  
  
The Rockets had ransacked the place while she was asleep, but she had grabbed the most important research and stuffed it in her back pack...those Rockets weren't so smart after all, they had forgotten to check there...  
  
Kachi sobbed. She hadn't been able to find her mother in the year she had been journeying around Kanto. She had gotten all the badges and made her Pokemon as strong as they could be. Well, all except for her Smoochum, Kachi hadn't been able to get her to evolve, no matter how hard she tried. She remembered her mother's words, from when she was little and had wanted her Smoochum to evolve.  
  
"Muchuru will evolve when your heart has matured and you have evolved as well. You and Muchuru have a special tie, Kachi, nothing will ever break that. When you are sad, she is also. When you are happy, so is she. When you are ready, she will be too. Just be patient, and you and Muchuru will be the most powerful Pokemon and trainer ever!"  
  
Kachi had been content after that, but now once more she wished for Muchuru to evolve. She sighed and wiped the tears from her face. She had to be strong, so that Muchuru could be strong and pull through this. She had to stop thinking about mother, it made her too weak, like back at the forest, when Roku mentioned her, and then she lost the battle...  
  
She left the ladies room and took her seat once more next to Roku. "They came out while you were gone. They have to do a very complex procedure on Muchuru, something to do with the eyes. I guess they got burned. Any how, its gonna cost something like 100,000," he said. "If they don't do it soon, she'll be blind for the rest of her life."  
  
"I don't have that much money!" whispered Kachi, her eyes filling with tears. She hadn't been able to get a job while out searching for her mother, and what little money she had had after her mother's kidnapping she had long spent.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll pay," said Roku. Kachi's eyes widened.  
  
"No no no!" she exclaimed. "I'll work, and I'll save up the money!" Roku shook his head.  
  
"They have to do it now, and besides, I already paid them. They're doing the operation right now!"   
  
Kachi began punching him in the arm. "How could you do this without my permission!?"   
  
"Easy! You're stubborn and wouldn't have accepted! You would have let your Pokemon go blind for your pride!" he said. "That's cruel!"  
  
"I would never!" said Kachi, standing up. "Roku, I fear you underestimate exactly how much I care for my Pokemon!"   
  
"Don't waste you're energy by standing. Sit down and have some of the pizza I ordered. You need to eat eight pieces or so, enough for you and Muchuru."  
  
Kachi was startled, and a little alarmed. Had he figured out the bond between her and her Pokemon? The strange, almost unnatural link...  
  
"And I'll have twelve pieces or so, all for Muchuru, of course!" he said with a grin. Kachi laughed with relief. Good, he didn't know. It could be dangerous for even him to know. If the Rockets found out...she shuddered at the thought of what they would go through to get a hold of her.   
  
"How many pizza's did you get?" asked Kachi. Roku shrugged.   
  
"Ah, four or so..."  
  
"Four!?"  
  
"Well, yeah. I wasn't sure how much you would eat..." :) 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three  
  
Roku and Kachi had stayed at the Pokemon Center over night. Both had been waiting up for Muchuru's operation to end, and both had fallen asleep on the bench where they sat. The nurses were kind enough not to wake them, and just cover them both with blankets before closing the Center for the night.  
  
Kachi now stood in the sunlight, cradling her Smoochum in her arms. She was in near perfect health, but the nurses had suggested a few more days rest before any battling with her. Kachi didn't have that time to wait, she would have to go on to the Gym without her. She had left Roku, who had still been sleeping when she had left the Pokemon Center, and walked to the doors of the Gym.  
  
The Gym seemed empty, desolate even. It sent shivers up Kachi's spine, and the hairs on the end of her neck stood on end.  
  
"Hello?" she called, her voice quivering even as she was.  
  
"Hello? Hello? Hello?" came the echo back. The Gym seemed like no more than a cavern, a huge, empty cavern.  
  
"Is there anybody here?"  
  
"Any body here? Here? Here?" the echo came. All of a sudden, from the darkness, came a voice, a voice that was most definitely not an echo. It spoke crisp and clear through the still air.  
  
"I fight only with four Pokemon, so I request that my opponent do the same. You may choose your four over there, there is a PC."  
  
Suddenly, though Kachi could not find the speaker, she found the PC. She walked up to it, and, her hand shaking, she began to move the mouse and click. A few more clicks, and she had chosen her line up. She chose a Bellossom (named Kabana), she chose a Kadabra (named Maho), she chose also a Sloking (named Pokey, after when it had been a Slowpoke, and she had called it that for short) and last, she chose Muchuru. She knew the doctor had said no in the fighting department for Muchuru, but when she had tried to deposit the fiesty little Smoochum, it had cried and lamented to the point where Kachi gave up and put her near the end of her line up. Hopefully she wouldn't have to use her.  
  
"Alright," came the voice. "Let the battle begin for the Earth Badge begin!" From the shadows where the voice seemed to be coming from, a pokemon came. "Go Pikachu!" said the voice, its calm tone not changing at all.  
  
"Go Kabana!" Bellossom burst from her pokeball.  
  
"Thunder!" came the voice, still calm.  
  
"Solar Beam!" shouted Kachi over the sounds of thunder. The lightening that always acompanies thunder struck the Bellossom, but she was not phased. Electric types are awful against plant types. The solar beam hit Pikachu with a bang, and Kachi had thought that he would be knocked out. Oh no, this was one tough Pikachu!  
  
"Thunder wave!" came the calm voice.  
  
"Solar Beam!" shouted Kachi once more.  
  
The thunder wave knocked Kabana to her feet, and she did not rise. She was paralyzed! "Oh no!" cried Kachi. As the Pikachu attacked once more, she searched through her back pack frantically for a Paralyze Heal. Soon the contents of her back pack was scattered all over the gym, but still no Paralyze Heal. She looked frantically in one of the small side pockets she thought she had forgotten, and, low and behold, there was a Full Heal, the cure for everything! She smiled and let her Bellossom drink it down. Soon Kabana was back on her feet and in no time the Pikachu was beaten. Kachi sighed with relief. She hadn't realized the battle would be this hard, and it was only the first Pokemon!  
  
The voice sent out a Charizard next, and Kabana soon fainted. The Bellossom was returned to her Pokeball, and Kachi sent out Kadabra. The strong psychic attacks soon knocked out the Charizard, but when it came to the Venasaur that came next, well, that was different. The PP had gone way down on all of his attacks, and with no way to attack or defend himself, he soon fainted. Kachi sent out Pokey, the Sloking. With a few strong water and psychic attacks, Pokey managed to beat the Venasaur, but just barely. Next came a Blastoise. Its powerful Hyrdo Pump pumped the poor Sloking into oblivion. Kachi gasped, she only had her Smoochum left. She took a deep breath, and sent out the pokemon.  
  
Muchuru stood tall and proud, though she looked terribly tiny next to the towering Blastoise. "Hydro Pump!" came the voice, but Kachi had already called, "Sing!"  
  
"Smoo - oo - oo - chum, Smoo - oo - oo - oo - chum!" Came Muchru's singing, to the same tune of Jigglypuff's. Blastoise rocked back and forth methodically to the rhythm, and was soon asleep.  
  
"Good job, Muchuru! Now try an ice punch!" The attack was not very affective, but it was the Smoochum's strongest. Kachi sighed, this would be a long battle. It would take forever to get the Blastoise's health down to fainting if she only had this attack! But she had no choice, and so she used the attack again.and again.and again.  
  
Ten minutes later the still sleeping Blastoise finally fainted, though it was hard to tell when exactly he fainted, and Muchuru might have kept on attacking even after he had fainted if Kachi had not run to her, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Muchru! We did it!" she said, hugging her Pokemon close. Suddenly, from the shadows, a figure emerged.  
  
He was tall, and most likely about Kachi's mother's age. He smiled at Kachi.  
  
"Well done," he said. Kachi stood, Smoochum in her arms.  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ash Ketchum. Perhaps you have heard of me?" Kachi nodded.  
  
"You, you are the best trainer ever." she said, nearly breathless. Had she really just defeated the best trainer in history?  
  
He laughed. "Are they still calling me that? Even when perhaps there is another trainer who surpasses I?"  
  
"Who?" exclaimed Kachi, eyes widening. "Who are they? I must find them, and fight them!" Ash smiled.  
  
"Why it's you, my dear." He studied her face for a moment. "You look so much like your mother." Ash trailed off as he remembered his rival, Gary's sister. So pretty, so very pretty.but while Ash had been off training at Silver Mountain, she had found another.a man who dumped her after Kachi was born. Not because he didn't want a child, but because he wanted Professor Oak to take care of the baby full time, and give up lab work. She wouldn't, and he left.no one had heard from him since.  
  
"Hello?" asked Kachi, waving her hand in front of Ash's face. "Hello?"  
  
"Sorry, sorry. As I was saying, you are the best trainer I have seen in a while. I hope to see you go on to get the other eight badges in Johto, and someday the elite four. And, maybe someday, you will take my place at Silver Mountain, a place that has been vacant for far too long."  
  
"Take the place at Silver Mountain, but - but that's for the best trainer in the world. Why do you want to give up that title? Why did you give up that title by leaving?"  
  
"Many things, child. I found some things were more important than training at Silver Mountain.but I also found that it was too late for those things. I toned down my powers, and took over this Gym. Someday, someday I will go back to full power, and you will have to beat me. You will gain the title, but before you do, think for a while, and make sure there's nothing you'll miss by taking the title. Nothing you'll be too late for once you realize its gone." Ash was so sad, his eyes seemed like the saddest in the world, even next to Kachi's. He patted Kachi on the back. "You best get along now, and here, take this. It's a couple of tickets for the SS Aqua. It goes from Vermilion to Olivine, in Johto. It only leaves from Vermilion on Wedesdays and Sundays, so I suggest you get going, m'dear!"  
  
Kachi smiled and put the tickets in her backpack. "Thank you sir! I'll be seing you again, and next time it'll be for the title of best Pokemon trainer in the world!" She rushed out of the gym, waving to Ash. He smiled and waved back, but it was a sad smile. The poor girl didn't know what she would lose by winning the title.  
  
"Oh, and say hello to your mother for me!"  
  
Luckily, she was already out of the Gym by the time Ash said this, and she didn't here him mention her missing mother. Phew! 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
  
"I did it! I did it! I did it!" Kachi panted under her breath, as she ran to the Poke Center, "I DID IT!"  
  
She went quickly to the PC, looking for a Pokemon that knew fly. As she withdrew a Fearow, she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Kachi? Is your Smoochum ok?"  
  
She turned to face, or look up at, rather, Roku. "Yes, she's fine," said Kachi. She snatched up the Poke ball containing the Fearow and began walking towards the door.   
  
"Well I'm glad of that," said Roku, cutting her off. She pushed passed him. He stood in front of the exit.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked. "Money? You know I can't pay you back right now."  
  
"I don't want money," he said. "I need to get to Johto, and you cant just fly. You must have a way, otherwise you wouldn't be in such a hurry."  
  
"I've got tickets on the SS Aqua."  
  
"Tickets? As in, plural? But there's only one of you..."  
  
"You're not getting the other one!" she said. He looked at her with large puppy dog eyes.  
  
"How can you say no to me?"  
  
"Like this." She pushed him through the door, and he went flying. "No, Roku."  
  
She let her Fearow out of the pokeball, and climbed on its back. "Fly!" she commanded. The Fearow obediently took to the air. Roku was soon soaring next to Kachi, on his own flying Pokemon.  
  
"Please oh please oh please?" he asked. "What are you scared of, that we might actually become friends?"  
  
She didn't answer, because that was exactly what she was afraid of. She didn't need another friend. A friend would be a distraction right now, and besides, she couldn't trust any one, not until she beat Team Rocket.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just can't."  
  
Roku sighed sadly.   
  
"And any way," said Kachi, "You still need to get the badge back there, and I don't."  
  
"On the contrary," he said, flashing the earth badge from one of his pockets.  
  
"How did you get that?" Kachi was amazed.  
  
"Late last night, I couldn't sleep, I was feeling awful. I decided to check out the gym, and someone invited me in. It took me a couple tries, but I got the badge."  
  
"But if you got it before me, why did he give me the tickets?" she whispered.   
  
"He gave you ticked on the most luxurious cruise liner in the world? Gave?! How unfair is that..."  
  
Could it be that he gave her the tickets because she was indeed the best trainer, and more deserving? Or did he hope that she would give one ticket to Roku, and she would gain a friend, an ally?   
  
"Oh all right, Roku, you can come," she said with a sigh, and a smile, as she handed him the ticket. He stared at the ticket in awe for a moment.   
  
"Whoo hoo!" he shouted into the wind. "I'm going to Johto!"  
  
Kachi smiled...perhaps it would be nice not to be all alone for a while...  
  
~~~~  
  
"Roku! We're going to miss it! The boat's going to leave!" Kachi yelled at Roku. "and its all your fault! You just had to have your chili cheese fries, didn't you?!" He shoved a goopy mass of chili cheese fries in her direction as they ran.  
  
"I told you I'd share," he said with his mouth full.  
  
"Oh thanks!" exclaimed Kachi, shoving a gob in her mouth. "But that doesn't change the fact that we are LATE!"  
  
They rounded the corner, and there was the boat. "All aboard!" someone shouted.  
  
"No!" yelled Kachi (she had quite a voice) "NOT all aboard."  
  
They reached the dock just in time to see the boat sail away across the smooth waters.  
  
"I guess we'll have to catch it next time - " began Roku.  
  
"Not on my watch!" exclaimed Kachi. "Blastoise, go! Surf!" Kachi was on the large shell of Blastoise in a matter of seconds.   
  
"That's one nifty trick!" said Roku, hopping on as well.  
  
"Did I say you could get on Blastoise?" said Kachi. "He has a little bit of a temper - " Just as she said this, Blastoise began surfing full speed. Kachi and Roku hung on to Blastoise and each other for dear life. Moments later, they reached the boat. They managed to find spots on the side to climb up on, and in moments were on the ship.  
  
"Stowaways!" shouted a sailor who had spotted them climbing on.  
  
"Wait!" said Kachi, trying to explain. "That's just not true - "  
  
Before they had time to explain, the two were roughly taken to the place where stowaways were kept, near the bottom of the ship, where it was dark, damp, and rank.  
  
"This is all your fault!" said Kachi. "Chilli cheese fries! They weren't even that good!"  
  
"Oh be quiet. The captain will be down eventually and we'll show him the tickets."  
  
By the time the captain got around to viewing the two "stowaways" Kachi was cold and damp and asleep. Roku was trying to keep her from rolling and rocking with the ship - there was a lot of stuff in that chamber, (apparently it was used for something other than stowaways) and he didn't want Kachi to hit her head on something. Then she'd be even crazier than she was now!  
  
"Who do you two think you are, stowing away on this ship?!"  
  
"Captain, if you'll let me explain, I've got the tickets - "  
  
"I know only one way to settle this! A Pokemon battle!"  
  
"A Pokemon battle? Sir, that seems like a little bit of an over reaction!"  
  
"Tentacruel, go!" A vicious looking tentacruel burst forth. "HYDRO PUMP!" the battle seasoned Pokemon blasted Roku (not Roku's Pokemon, Roku) into oblivion. "Now the girl!" hissed the captain. "the girl" had just woken up, and had figured out that something funny was going on.   
  
"Muchuru, go! Psybeam!" This wouldn't even phase the Tentacruel under normal circumstances, but these weren't normal circumstances. There was something about the bond Kachi had with her Pokemon - Muchuru especially. Tentacruel stumbled around dizzily, trying to regain composure as the captain shouted at him. "Finish him off Muchuru! Blizzard!" An icy blizzard chilled the already hurting Tentacruel. "ANOTHER TIME!" screamed Kachi as the captain decided to go after her, rather than letting his Pokemon do the work, as he had with Roku. The blizzard knocked the captain back and his Pokemon completely out. As he was knocked back, his uniform was blasted away to reveal the infamous Rocket Uniform. Kachi's eye's grew dark. Her voice was a low growl. "Run."  
  
The captain looked mystified.  
  
"You had better run!" The captain looked half amused, half scared. Unsure, to be certain. "MUCHURU!" screamed Kachi. Leftover slow flakes danced around her as she shouted, "BLIZZARD! FREEZE THIS ROCKET SCUM!" A blizzard ensued, a blizzard of such magnitude no Pokemon trainer had ever seen. It seemed as though that blizzard could have frozen an ocean, canceled school in five counties for a week, and made the plow men millionaires. But Muchuru was so excited at what she had made, she forgot to actually attack, and in the madness and chaos of the blizzard, the rocket snuck out, leaving his Pokemon for whatever fate awaited him there - he didn't really care. Their Pokemon are not something rockets prize highly.  
  
The snow cleared, and Roku slowly stood. "That was amazing..." he breathed. "I have never in all my years seen an attack like that." His eyes were wide as he looked at Kachi. "What was that?"  
  
"Blizzard."  
  
"That was no normal blizzard..."  
  
Kachi shrugged. "It doesn't matter how good it was! He got away!" She grabbed Muchuru and dashed up to the top level of the boat, but the rocket was already flying away.   
  
"Wanna go after him?" said Roku. After pausing to think for a moment, Kachi shook her head.  
  
"I can't, I've got bigger fish to fry."  
  
"Not if you want to make sushi!" said Roku with a goofy grin. Kachi looked like she was going to take offence for a moment, but then she laughed.  
  
"I wish all I had to make was sushi..." 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
  
After a little investigating, Kachi and Roku discovered that the real captain was tied up in his cabin. The sailors had had no idea - they had been told that the captain was sick and the rocket was his replacement.  
  
"Thank you two so much!" said the captain, shaking both their hands. "Is there anything I could do for you?"  
  
"Could you tell us where our cabin is?" asked Kachi.  
  
"Of course! Of course!"  
  
Their cabin was small, but clean, and contained two sets of bunk beds and two dressers. A girl stood looking out the window, painting. She heard the door click shut behind Roku and Kachi, and whirled around. A bright grin crossed her face.  
  
"Hi! I'm Meijin. You can call me Mei!" she said, holding out her hand.  
  
"I'm Kachi," said Kachi, shaking her hand.  
  
"And I'm Roku," said Roku. Mei was very pretty. She had long strait green hair and deep blue eyes. Roku wondered for a moment if she had a boyfriend, but his question was answered when he noticed a picture of a handsome young man on the dresser that Mei had claimed for her own. He also noticed a diamond ring on Mei's finger.  
  
"Are you engaged to this guy?" asked Roku. Mei nodded, her face glowing. "You don't look much older than us though."  
  
"I'm seventeen, every one says I'm too young, but I love him, I know I do."  
  
"Is he on this cruise too?" asked Kachi, unpacking a few of her things. Mei shook her head sadly.  
  
"I'm not sure where he is... he's been missing for a while. I think it has something to do with his work on rockets..."  
  
"Rockets?" asked Roku.  
  
"He was a rocket scientist, well, that's what he was going to school for, at least. He was going to school in Goldenrod. I couldn't come with him - he proposed right before he left. I haven't heard from him since he left."  
  
"What would the rockets want with a rocket scientist?" asked Roku.  
  
"Who knows what they do anything for?" Mei sighed. "But I'll find him."  
  
Kachi wanted to tell her that she was looking for team rocket too, that she felt her pain - but she couldn't. Not yet.  
  
"What's that your working on?" asked Kachi, trying to change the subject.  
  
"It's a picture of the sea," said Mei. "I love the sea, it's so pretty, but so powerful." Mei reminded Kachi of the sea. Greens and blues, pretty when calm, but so very powerful when angry.  
  
"Then water Pokemon must be your favorite," said Kachi. Mei nodded. She loved water Pokemon. "Then here, have this," said Kachi. She held out a pokeball that contained the abandoned Tentacruel.  
  
"For me?" said Mei, fluttering her long pretty eyelashes in surprise. "What is it?" she held the pokeball delicately.  
  
"A tentacruel. A rocket who was impersonating the captain left it behind." Mei's eyes grew dark as a stormy ocean.  
  
"Where did he go?!"  
  
"He's gone." Mei sighed.  
  
"I was hoping maybe he knew something - maybe he could have helped me find Okoru!"  
  
"Okoru? Is that the guy in the picture?" asked Roku. Mei nodded.  
  
"Koru, most people call him that. Did you know okoru means 'flare up'?" she smiled. "I suppose it suits him, he is a rocket scientist, after all. Or he will be, when he finishes college." She paused for a moment. "There was a rocket on the ship? What happened?" Kachi told her the story as she and Roku both finished their unpacking. "You were so brave!" exclaimed Mei. "Can I see your smoochum? I adore baby Pokemon! They're the cutest!" Kachi smiled as she took out Muchuru. She cradle the sleeping baby Pokemon for a moment, and then handed her to Mei. Muchuru stirred for just a moment before settling into Mei's arms. "She's so pretty." Kachi smiled.  
  
"She's my prize Pokemon. I've had her since I was a baby."  
  
"Really?" said Mei. "Interesting." A bell sounded. "Oh my! That means it's dinner! Can I eat with you? I've been on this cruise for a few days, and I've had to eat alone at every meal."  
  
"Of course you can eat with us," said Roku.  
  
"I won't be interrupting anything?" said Mei. Roku and Kachi both laughed.  
  
"There's nothing to interrupt," said Kachi.  
  
"Yeah, we just met yesterday," said Roku.  
  
"Oh," said Mei with a soft smile. "You two just acted like old friends."  
  
"Its actually not anything like that - " began Kachi. She and Roku began trying to explain things, but nothing could be heard through the din of each trying to get heard over the voice of the other.  
  
~~~  
  
Dinner was an interesting affair. At first no one spoke, but soon every one relaxed and began to enjoy each other's company. The three worked well together. Roku's bold comments and jokes made every one laugh, as did Kachi's wit and sarcasm. Mei mediated when the two came close to arguing, and kept the noise level to a minimum.  
  
The group of three chatted in the dining hall late into the night, and it was well past midnight when Mei began to slowly withdraw from the conversation, and fell asleep. Kachi and Roku talked for nearly ten minutes before they noticed that Mei was no longer with them. They laughed softly.  
  
"I guess we're just too much fun for her," said Kachi with a yawn. Roku nodded.  
  
"Poor Mei... she deserves some sleep, we shouldn't have kept her up." Kachi shook her head.  
  
"I think it was good for her, it cheered her up."  
  
"I hope you're right... she seemed awful sad. I hate to see someone that sad..." he paused, and looked strait at Kachi. She caught his glance, but turned her eyes away in a yawn.  
  
"Its time for - time for - time for bed," she yawned.  
  
Roku sighed. He had thought maybe to get an answer from his sullen companion that night. "I suppose you're right. Shall we wake her or shall I carry her?"  
  
"If you can carry her without waking her, then by all means, let the poor girl sleep."  
  
Mei smiled in her sleep as Roku picked her up. "Koru..." she murmured in her sleep. "Koru... you're back..."  
  
Roku made an odd face as he carried her to their cabin. X.X  
  
Mei ended up waking up any way, because Roku and Kachi nearly had a bloodbath deciding who got the top bunk.  
  
Kachi won. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
When Kachi awoke that morning sunlight flooded the small cabin. Below her, in the bottom bunk, she could hear Roku stirring. She peered through slit eyes at Mei's bed, and found it empty. Mei was an early riser, as opposed to Kachi, who rose late, and Roku, who rose even later.  
  
"Are we in Olivine yet?" Kachi asked.  
  
"Are you talking to me?" Roku half yawned, half groaned.  
  
"Sure... why not?" yawned Kachi.  
  
"I think we're moving... so nope, we're not there yet." Mei suddenly popped out of the adjoining bathroom.  
  
"Good morning!" she said brightly. Roku jumped up suddenly.  
  
"The bathroom is mine!" he exclaimed.  
  
"No way!" Kachi flew down from the top bunk, just in time to have Roku slam the door in her face. "Roooooku!" whined Kachi, slumping up against the door.  
  
"You snooze you loose!"  
  
~~~  
  
It had been the better part of an hour when Roku finally emerged from the bathroom. The hot steam enveloped the small cabin.  
  
"Thanks for being so quick," said Kachi sarcastically. "I thought only girls took that long - really self conscious ones, at that!"  
  
"Sorry, Kachi."  
  
"Did you even leave any hot water for me?" Squeals from the bathroom later confirmed the answer to that; no.  
  
~~~  
  
It was nearly eleven before Kachi stumbled into the dining hall. Roku and Mei were just finishing up brunch. "We saved you a little," said Mei.  
  
"You saved her a little. I wanted to eat it," said Roku.  
  
"Gee thanks, Roku." Kachi sat down and ate the food. Mei handed her a flyer.  
  
"Look! There's a ball tonight!" said Mei excitedly.  
  
"A ball?" said Kachi, arching one eyebrow.  
  
"A dance, a party. You know," said Mei with a laugh. "Its going to be so much fun!"  
  
"I don't have anything to wear," said Kachi, looking for an excuse.  
  
"You hardly seem the type of girl to miss a party because she didn't have anything to wear," said Roku.  
  
"And you know oh so much about me," said Kachi.  
  
"Sorry," said Roku with an apologetic smile.  
  
"Whatever," said Kachi. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to be training all day. See you at dinner."  
  
~~~  
  
Kachi found plenty of trainers to fight on the ship, and she won every battle. She was by far the best trainer on the ship.  
  
Dinner was early because of the ball. It was around five, and after training all day, Kachi looked exhausted. She was not up for a party. The other two tried to convince her it would be good for her, but she just yawned in response.  
  
"Oh all right!" Mei said finally. "I guess there's no convincing you when you're like this."  
  
"I guess there isn't," said Kachi with a weak smile.  
  
"Stubbornness can be a good quality, just don't let it rule your life," said Mei. "You have to give in every now and then, every one does."  
  
"Mei, lets take Kachi back up to our room so we can get ready and get down here for the party." Roku looked a little worried about Kachi - a normal fifteen year old girl should be thrilled to go to a party on the luxury cruise liner the SS Aqua. But Kachi wasn't normal... that attracted Roku to her, and also pushed him away...  
  
Kachi lay in her bunk as Mei and Roku got ready. She wanted to go to the ball - but she couldn't have fun. Not - not - not yet. She just wasn't ready, not until she found her mom... not until she was the best trainer... She still had so much to do... there just wasn't time for little things like "fun". But wasn't training supposed to be fun? It used to be, but that was back when it just filled her idle hours, when it wasn't her life, when her mother's life didn't depend on her training skills...  
  
"Have fun," she said to Mei and Roku as they walked out.  
  
"You're sure you don't want to come?" asked Mei. Kachi nodded. "Alright then... bye..."  
  
Was it Kachi's imagination, or as Roku walked out the door behind Meijin, did he look vaguely disappointed?  
  
An hour or so later, Kachi could hear the music floating up from down below. She also heard talking, and laughed. People were having fun. Suddenly, she wished that she was having fun. She wanted to be with those people, she desperately wanted to be with those people... She hadn't had fun in ages... but it was too late now... she had nothing to wear and nothing to do with her dumb old brown hair... tears flooded Kachi's eyes... Mei was so pretty, and she was so ugly, and Mei had a fiancé, and Kachi was alone, and Kachi hadn't had fun or even been all that happy in ages, and Mei seemed to always be so happy... What's wrong with me? thought Kachi. And - and - and who's that coming up the stairs?  
  
"Who's there?" called Kachi, a faint note of alarm reaching her voice. Surely most people would be at the party...  
  
Mei walked into the room. "Just me," she smiled. Mei was so pretty. She wore her long green hair down, with a few tropical flowers tucked behind her ear. Her dress was pale green and her face glowed with happiness. "I forgot my purse!" A small purse accented her dress.  
  
Mei's hand was on the doorknob when she turned back to Kachi. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Were you crying?"  
  
"I wasn't crying," said Kachi. "But I want to come to the party with you, and I cant." Mei looked surprised, and pleased.  
  
"Its going to be so much fun!" She grabbed Kachi's hand, ready to pull her down to the party.  
  
"I don't have anything to wear," said Kachi, "That's why I can't go..."  
  
"I have the perfect thing! It would go great with your pretty green eyes." She found a dress of green for Kachi. She did Kachi's hair up, and added just the littlest bit of makeup. The result was stunning - Kachi was far prettier than any one had realized!  
  
Roku was surprised to see Kachi return with Mei, and he was even more surprised at how pretty she looked. In fact, his first thoughts were, "God, she's beautiful!"  
  
"You look great!" he said with a genuine smile. The smile was returned, no one had ever said that Kachi looked great, especially not a boy (a cute one, at that! ^^).  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Do you want to dance?" Kachi couldn't understand why Roku was asking her. Undoubtedly there were dozens of other girls who wanted to dance with the young eligible bachelor.  
  
She was about to say no, but something changed her mind. Perhaps a little bit of fun would be alright - perhaps just a little wouldn't hurt. It wasn't as though she was betraying her mother - her mother would want her to have fun - take a little brake now and then -  
  
"I'd love to." Roku smiled, and Kachi smiled back. Perhaps a bridge had been formed between these two battling strangers...  
  
"ROKU, THAT'S MY FOOT."  
  
... or perhaps not. 


End file.
